River Soundscapes

August- October 2009

My journey to work takes me past the Grand Union canal in Leicester and the River Trent in Nottingham.

For 1 hour each day of the week, I travel between Leicester and Nottingham. The scenery outside the train window takes me past the River Soar and when I arrive into Nottingham, I walk over the bridge and see the River Trent and the same man sat on a bench overlooking the water.

The River Trent is surrounded by an industrial estate and is used as a venue for extreme sporting activities and as a method of transport by narrow boat. It has been a point of interest for many creative initiatives, used by professional artists, writers and performers. Hinterland; set up to closely examine geographical areas that surround the River Trent in Nottingham, commissioned a series of site specific projects along the River Trent, including a series of talks and performances, that engaged the public in foraging trips, cycle powered cinema’s and much more to raise awareness and celebrate the river and the surrounding area.

The canal in Leicester is also surrounded by an industrial estate, a park and a new block of flats that overlook the wildlife that live in the canal. Sadly the residents see the canal as a bin, filling it with rubbish, rather than nurturing the area or using it as a source for inspiration.

Binaural audio recordings have been taken from the Grand Union canal in Leicester to produce a sample soundscape with the intention of comparing and contrasting it to a sample from the River Trent.